James Potter & The Triwizard Tournament
by djmay71
Summary: In his sixth year at Hogwarts, James Potter yearns to enter the Triwizard Tournament, despite the protests of many, including his own father- Harry Potter. Post Deathly Hallows. Major Spoilers for the entire series.
1. Responsible or Reckless

**A/N: Howdy. Since I've started in writing fanfictions I've always wanted to write a Harry Potter fic. I've since reread a good number of the books and watched some of the movies a handful of times, I came to the realization that instead of rewriting J.K. Rowling's vision- that I should extend it. Thus, my plot line focuses more on the epilogue that was provided in **_**The Deathly Hallows**_**.**

**I should note that this fiction will be rife with spoilers for the entire Harry Potter series, so if you have an aversion to spoilers, I suggest you look away.**

**To help myself, and my readers, I've composed a quick **_**dramatis personae **_**of sorts- see below.**

***Note, that in areas where no specifics were detailed, as an author, I came up with my own.**

**Name / Age / Hogwarts Year or Profession**

_Potter, Harry / 40 / Auror, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic_

_Potter, Ginny / 33 / Safekeeper, The Order of the Phoenix _

_Potter, James / 17 / Hogwarts, Sixth Year_

_Potter, Albus / 14 / Hogwarts, Third Year_

_Potter, Lily / 13 / Hogwarts, Second Year_

_Weasley, Ronald / 41 / Auror, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Ministry of Magic_

_Weasley, Hermione / 41 / Assistant Minister of Magic, Ministry of Magic_

_Weasley, Rose / 14 / Hogwarts, Fourth Year_

_Weasley, Hugo / 13 / Hogwarts, Second Year_

_Malfoy, Draco / 41 / President- Malfoy Industries_

_Malfoy, Scorpio / 14 / Hogwarts, Fourth Year_

**As you can see there are a lot of characters. As the title should suggest, it is centric around James Potter, Harry's eldest son. That being said, I'm hoping for every character that I have here, (plus some extras!) to make an appearance throughout this fiction.**

* * *

James laid in bed, with a single sheet covering him. He peered over to the window, where the new day's sun trickled in the painfully clean window. He turned his head to see his younger brother, Albus, sleeping soundly on the bed next to him.

James smiled, as he appreciated the serenity of the moment, as his thoughts washed back to the corridors and classrooms of Hogwarts. In only a few weeks he would return to Hogwarts, along with his younger brother and sister.

Suddenly, a loud pop noise rang out, and his father- Harry Potter, _the _Harry Potter apparated in front of him.

James found it difficult living in his father's shadow, as he was sure his siblings did too. Not only did everyone in the magical world recognize his last name, and praise him like a messiah, but his Hogwarts professors also held him up to ridiculously high standards because of his father's popularity.

"Get up, both of you." Harry exclaimed to his children, "James, can I have a word?"

James sat up in bed, as he let the sheet fall off his bare chest. He was by no means athletic, but he was slim and muscular- something he believed he had inherited from his parents.

"What?" James asked.

"In the hall." Harry directed, as he opened the doorway, "Now."

With a grumble, and rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, James followed his father. Many people said they looked and acted alike. The obvious differences were of course the closely cut crew cut that James sported, much to his displeasure- the craft of his magical mother- Ginny Potter; and the lightning bolt scar that his father had on his forehead- a reminder of the perils that troubled Harry throughout his adolescence.

"What?" James asked again.

"Next week, when you three leave for Hogwarts- we won't be able to take you to the station." Harry said.

"Why?" James asked, "What's going on?"

"Just listen-" Harry continued, "I want you to take care of your brother and sister, and Rose and Hugo too."

"Dad…" James whined, knowing well there was nothing he could say to the man.

"You're going into your second last year of Hogwarts, James, you need to stop acting like a fool and take responsibility."

* * *

The next few days went by uneventfully. Although Harry was on holidays, he was called away early in the morning, and arrived home late the next night, with Uncle Ron with him.

"James." Ron nodded, as he sat down beside him at the dinner table, and grabbed a plate, and stole James' raspberry crumble from his plate.

"Hey!" James replied.

Ron didn't seem to notice, as he stretched over the table and grabbed Lily's cup of pumpkin juice.

"Ronald!" Ginny said, furiously, as she whipped out her wand and summoned the pitcher of pumpkin juice and a new cup and poured her daughter more pumpkin juice.

"I'm hungry." Ron mumbled through mouthfuls of the stolen food.

"Yeah, we've been busy," Harry explained as he sat down at the table with a steaming hot plate of the roast Ginny had made for dinner, "I'm starving."

"Busy with what?" James asked.

"Sorry, can't tell you." Ron said, as he licked up the last specks of food off his plate, "If I did, I'd have to kill you."

"Finish your plate dear." Ginny said to Albus, who had recently become a picky eater.

"No!" Albus exclaimed defiantly, "James didn't have to."

James looked across the table to his father, as they both stared at each other, remembering their discussion from a few days ago.

"I should have Albus." James explained, "I'm sorry mum."

Ginny seemed taken aback by James' profound apology. She opened her mouth to reply, but instead, a trio of owls flew into the room via the open kitchen window. Each owl landed in front of the three children- one for James, Albus and Lily.

"Hogwarts letters." James said, as he quickly removed his letter, having done it for several years now, and he broke the seal and opened it, "Basic stuff- some new textbooks."

"The new edition of Advanced Potionmaking, I assume?" Harry asked.

"I'm not taking potions." James said, as he unfolded a second piece of parchment.

"I thought you wanted to be an Auror?" Harry asked, "You can't be an Auror if you don't have potions."

"_You _want me to be an Auror." James accused, as he read the second page.

"Whazzat?" Uncle Ron asked, as he leaned over, with food falling out of his mouth.

"Triwizard Tournament." James said, as he continued reading the page, "Hogwarts is hosting the Triwizard Tournament this year."

"What is that?" Albus asked.

"Oh, well," Ron explained, "Three schools get together, one student is selected to represent each school, and they undergo dangerous tasks. Whoever wins the most points at the end of the Tournament wins the Triwizard Cup."

"That's cool!" Albus exclaimed.

"I'm entering." James calmly stated, as he looked up to his parents.

Ginny had a look of concern, as she looked over to her husband and then to Ron.

"No, no you're not James." Ginny demanded, "You're not old enough."

"It says you have to be seventeen- I'm seventeen. You did it." James jested towards his father.

"That's different mate," Ron said, "He didn't enter- he was forced into it."

"He did it when he was fourteen, and I'm seventeen." James reasoned, "I'm doing it."

* * *

Over the next few days James continued talking about how he was going to enter the Triwizard Tournament. During the time, Ginny was fussing over how much her children had grown over the past year, as she desperately tried to make the smaller school robes fit over the growing children.

Ginny sat frustrated at the coffee table in the sitting room, as Albus had furiously taken off the robe, which was stretched across his shoulders and were only a few inches from the bottom of his knees.

Harry sat over in one corner having a butterbeer while reading the Daily Prophet. He looked at his beautiful wife, sigh loudly, and grab the robe off the floor where Albus had left it.

"So we'll get them new robes." Harry said.

"They're growing up too fast-" Ginny said, "It seems like just James was just born yesterday."

"Time does fly."

Without a flinch from either Ginny or Harry, Hermione Weasley- Ron's wife apparated in front of Harry.

"Harry." Hermione said sternly.

"Hermione." Harry replied, "Business or casual?"

"Business." Hermione said, as she took a seat across from Harry, "Percy would have come, but he has business with the muggle Prime Minister."

"Give us a moment?" Harry asked Ginny, who got up with the robes in her hand, and went upstairs.

"What's going on?" Harry asked.

"Your report on Malfoy Industries." Hermione said, as she produced a neat piece of parchment from her briefcase- the exact piece of parchment that Harry had written his inspection results of Draco Malfoy's business.

"And?" Harry asked, as he finished off his butterbeer.

"Are you sure you didn't find anything?"

"Making wands and other school supplies?" Harry asked condescendingly, "Yes, because it's obviously a front for devious plans."

"Harry, we can't just shrug this off," Hermione insisted, "He's been convicted of performing dark magic and with conspiring with the dark lord."

"Hermione-" Harry started.

"Yes, I know Harry, you think he's changed. I don't think so. Do you not remember the things he did to us in school? How he imprisoned us in his home? How he let…that woman, torture me?"

"Of course not. He's changed."

"I would hope so." Hermione said, as she stood and returned the report to her briefcase, "And I would hope that you're keeping an eye on him."

Without another word, Hermione disapparated.


	2. On Return To Hogwarts

James exited the train at the station in Hogsmeade, the village on the outskirts of the Hogwarts grounds. He felt glad to be back at Hogwarts, even better that he would be entering the Triwizard Tournament, on his father's blessing. He didn't however, particularly enjoy the conversation with his father when he was told that thought.

It was the night before they were to leave on the train to come back to Hogwarts. Uncle and Aunt Ron and Hermione came to the house with his younger cousins, Rose and Hugo, who were to stay the night with them.

Harry had told his son that the four of them- Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione had to go on official Order of the Phoenix business and had to leave that night to make it to wherever they needed to go.

Being the eldest of the children, James was required to take care of everyone- which meant making sure everybody had their trunks packed for the trip, and to make sure that everybody ate their breakfast. Both his own mother, and aunt Hermione had strict orders of what they were to eat, when to eat, when to go to bed, and other rules.

Finally, before leaving, Harry pulled his son out of the room, much like he had done the other morning the previous week.

"James-" Harry had started.

"Dad, I'm entering the Tournament."

"Ok." Harry nodded, "Enter the tournament- but you have to make me promise, ok?"

"What?"

"Promise me you'll protect your brother and sister, and your cousins."

"Why? What's going on?" James asked.

"It's for me to know." Harry proudly stated, "No matter what- you need to protect them, ok?"

"Protect them from what?"

"You'll know."

James still stood on the platform, motionless. None of his classmates approached him. Only Albus, Lily, Rose and Hugo stood around him.

"There's a free chariot." Rose said, as the group, James included, followed the fourth year Hogwarts student onto the chariot, guided by the thestrals- huge magical beasts that were only visible to a person who had seen someone die.

The ride to the castle was uneventful. Once there, they were quickly sorted by their heads of house to their house tables in the great hall. Lily and Rose said goodbye to their brothers, as they went to sit together at the Ravenclaw table.

James, Albus and Hugo on the other hand, where directed to sit at the Gryffindor table by their head of house- Professor McGonagall, one of the professors that their parents had when they had attended Hogwarts.

The sorting of the first years was always amusing to watch, as the large, greying hat was placed upon the head of the first year student, as it would yell out which house it chose to sort you into. On average, about a hundred students were sorted each year, but this year, it seemed like the number was drastically reduced.

Once sorted, everybody quieted down for the headmaster's speech. Headmaster Stykraut, an elder German fellow, took his position at the podium.

"Welcome to Hogwarts!" he exclaimed, "Whether this is your first or fourth year, we welcome you into your new home! If we consider this to be our home, than it is our fellow students who become our house mates. Without our mates, we are one. One pillar cannot hold a ceiling, one man cannot sway an entire army, and one spell cannot dispel the darkest of shadows. With our mates, whether in our academy , or outside our borders, we can hold up the grandest of ceilings, hold back the dark armies, and shine the brightest light to guide our way. No matter who we are, we are capable of great things. And above all- let's eat!"

As the final words came from Stykraut's mouth, the food of the Opening Feast appeared on the tables.

James smiled. He was glad to be back at Hogwarts.

* * *

James ate contently at the feast, until someone ran up from behind him and slapped him playfully on the head.

"There he is!" came another voice, belonging to James' true best friend- Drake Reinfed. Like James, he was a 6th year Gryffindor student as well, "Oi, you don't write all summer break?"

James spun around, "Hey Drake. Hugo, you mind pushing over?"

Hugo pushed over to let Drake sit down.

"So, you in?" Drake asked.

"The Tournament?" James asked, "You bet I am."

"Dad said you couldn't." Albus piped up, as he swallowed a mouthful of pastry.

"Do you see dad here, pipsqueak?" James asked, "I can do whatever you want."

"Actually, you can't." came a voice from across the table.

Across from them, another 6th year Gryffindor politely asked some 1st years to move over. Once she sat down, her blue eyes met with James' eyes.

"If you're here to stop us from doing something stupid Cameron, you're early." Drake replied.

"I'd thought you two would already be planning something stupid by now." Cameron Cordell said, one of the two Gryffindor prefects.

"Well, we're both entering the Triwizard." Drake said, "Are you?"

"I stand corrected." Cameron replied, "Great idea- volunteer to die."

"You're going to die?" Hugo asked, as he looked around Drake, "Don't die."

"Well, if you say it like that I won't then." James smiled.

Immediately the food, plates, and dinnerware disappeared from the tables, as Professor Stykraut stood back up.

"And now to go over the order of business," Stykraut said, as his magically amplified voice reached every corner of the Great Hall, "We have two staffing changes this year- first, we are much obliged to have Professor Longbottom take over the Herbology course. Professor Longbottom has studied his craft further in Romania, and has returned to Hogwarts to take over Professor Sprouts' position. And finally, like most years, we have new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor. He has a legacy that is well known within the magical community, values the use of practical classroom time and above all, has made his mark on history- none other, than Professor Harry Potter!"

The students immediately clapped hard, and stood up, giving Harry Potter a standing ovation. Humbly, Harry Potter rose and stood from the staff table.

"You have to be kidding me." James muttered, meanwhile Albus exclaimed, "Cool!"

"And finally, I am pleased to introduce the Minister of Magic- Mr. Percy Weasley!"

Uncle Percy came forward and shook Stykraut's hand, as he took the podium.

"Hogwarts School of Witchcraft & Wizardry, with the support of the Ministry of Magic, is proud to announce that the Triwizard Tournament will he hosted by Hogwarts this year." Percy announced, "To compete with Hogwarts we have invited, the Canadian Institute of Magic!"

The doors to the hall opened, as approximately 30 students entered, wearing bright white robes, with a red maple leaf emblazoned on the back of them. Five students ran ahead of the rest, who calmly walked. The five flipped and turned acrobatically in the air, and as they all formed a line at the front of the Great Hall, they summoned red sparks, which morphed together to form a bright red maple leaf in the air.

"The Institute brings none other than Professor Peter Orwell alongside their students." Percy exclaimed, "And finally, we have invited the French University of Magic!"

Again the doors opened, but nothing, or nobody came in. Everybody looked around confused.

"Guess they didn't show." Drake yelled humorously.

Most of the Great Hall laughed alongside Drake, but the laugh was cut short, when a huge blue ball appeared in the centre of the hall, where approximately 20 students- equally divided between 10 women and 10 men jumped from the ball. They nimbly jumped onto the tables, and off again, onto the floor, where they tapped their feet together in practiced unison. Once back on the floor, they calmly walked to the front the lined up beside the Canadian Institute of Magic.

"The French are accompanied by none other than Madame Ellis Martelle." Percy continued.

Now the caretaker- a new one, James noted, carted a huge package to the front. The package was dressed in ornate wrapping, depicting images from the last Triwizard Tournament, which was held in Germany three years ago.

Once at the front, Percy grabbed his wand and wiped the wrapping off the package to reveal a huge open ended cylinder.

"This is the Goblet of Fire." Percy explained, "Any student, over the age of seventeen may simply write their name on a piece of parchment and throw it into the flame. In one months' time, I will be pleased to announce the contestants of this year's, Triwizard Tournament!"

* * *

Before taking off to go to the Gryffindor common room, James and Drake got the password from Cameron. Using shortcuts they knew they got to the common room well before everyone else, and grabbed the most comfortable chairs and sat in them, facing the portal into the common room.

After twenty minutes later, a few second and third year students showed up, including Albus and Hugo, who immediately retired to their dorms, knowing well the wave of first year students that would soon be coming in.

Cameron came in first, surrounded by at least 10 first years, most of them boys.

"James, do you mind showing them the men's dormitory?" Cameron asked, as she gathered all the girls to show them the women's dorms.

"I'd rather not." Drake answered.

James pondered the question. His father did want him to stop goofing off and become more responsible. If he was to hear that he was helping Cameron, not only did he figure that Cameron would owe him, but also that it would show that he was responsible.

"Sure." James said, as he led the herded boys up the stairs and showed them the dorms.

Once he was finished the short tour, which included where the dorms and bath was, but also demonstrated a quick charm which turned the boring Gryffindor bed sheets, a deep gold color that sparkled, he slid down the railing of the stairs down to the common room.

In the common room, he found Cameron in the chair he was sitting in.

"Drake." James complained.

"What can I say, Jimmy," Drake replied, "She manipulated me by the fact that I don't care."

"And you consider him your friend?" Cameron asked, as the light of the fire reflected off her flawless skin.

"Get out of my chair."

"Does it have your name on it?" Cameron asked with a wicked smile.

James pulled out his wand. "Get out of my chair, or I'll make you get out of my chair."

"You wouldn't dare." Cameron replied cautiously, unsure if James would really threaten a prefect.

"Would I?"

She got up and started up the stairs to her dorm. "You could have asked nicely, idiot."

James returned to the chair.

Drake smiled and looked over to James.

"Glad to be back?" James asked.

"Glad to be back."


End file.
